Ever since his 2022 departure from the Miami Heat, PJ Tucker has struggled to find as much of an impactful role elsewhere. He was able to get starting minutes alongside Joel Embiid with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2022-23 season, until he was shipped out in the James Harden trade with the LA Clippers. Unfortunately for Tucker, he has been wasting the last few years of his career there.
The veteran forward is in the final year of the three-year, $33 million contract that Philadelphia signed him to. But he has only appeared in 28 games for the Clippers last season and has been shelved for the entirety of this current 2024-25 campaign. Tucker has expressed a desire to still play a role on an NBA team, but seems to be stuck in LA where they’ve refused to utilize his services with DNP's.
He has tried to facilitate a way out of the Clippers organization for a chance to play again, but has gotten no takers. His $11 million salary for a 39 year-old player with plenty of miles under his belt is an unattractive asset on the trade market.
However, with that contract expiring at the end of the season he could be a low-risk, high-reward acquisition in this year’s buyout market.
Despite Tucker being one of the oldest players in the league, he can still add value to playoff contending teams. He still has a high defensive motor and has made a career out of being able to defend positions 1-5. His 3 and D skill set can bring plenty of upside to any lineup, even if it is in limited minutes. Tucker is a career 37% 3-point shooter and brings countless energy, hustle and locker room leadership.
That’s the version of himself the Heat were able to get. Coach Erik Spoelstra seems to always get the best out of hard working role players, and it was no different in unlocking Tucker’s talent. Miami earned the Eastern Conference’s number one seed back in the 2021-22 season with the veteran playing alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt.
PJ Tucker averaged 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds on a career-high 48% shooting, 42% from 3-point range across 71 games with the Heat.
It was no coincidence that Miami had the most regular season success in the entire six-year Butler build with Tucker in the fold. He played to the exact identity that Spoelstra strives for with his lineups as a small-ball power forward. His toughness was contagious on the court, to the point where Heat fans infamously labeled the team as “the kennel” at the time.
Tucker was a terrific fit with the Heat Culture in just one season. He brought the ability to lockdown the opposing team’s best player on a nightly basis, regardless of the position. The charges drawn, extra effort for loose balls and active hands on the perimeter put a lot of pressure on rival squads. Acquiring him off the buyout market could make for a low-cost reuinion, and give Spoelstra more options in the rotation for when guys like Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are struggling.
Not to mention, he also had a great relationship with Butler on and off the court. He referred to Tucker several times over the course of that year as his “favorite teammate” of all-time.
Miami is currently a first apron team, with limitations financially. But they have always been competitive on the buyout market, where impact players become available for no impact on their salary cap. If Tucker gets free following this season’s NBA trade deadline, the Heat front office could circle back on the former fan favorite.